US Air Force Initiative to Enhance Hypersonic Test Capabilities

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Morgan Morris
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nd Annual NDIA National T&E Conference San Diego Marriott Mission Valley, San Diego CA 8 March

1 Air Force Materiel Command US Air Force Initiative to Enhance Hypersonic Test Capabilities Col Tim West Senior Materiel Leader, Test Ops Division Arnold Engineering Development Complex 32 nd Annual NDIA National T&E Conference San Diego Marriott Mission Valley, San Diego CA 8 March 2017 Approved for Public Release AEDC Deliver and Support Agile War-Winning Capabilities

2 AFTC is the only organization in the US Air Force responsible for Developmental Test & Evaluation DT&E is a crucial part of all acquisition processes and the key to the success of all weapon programs 2

3 AF Test Center Mission and Vision Conduct Developmental Test and Evaluation of air, space, & cyber systems to provide timely, objective, and accurate information to decision makers Tester of Choice Today and Tomorrow 3 3

4 Hypersonics DT&E An AFTC Enterprise-Wide Endeavor 4

effectively develop and field high speed

5 Mach Number Partnering with Test Resource Management Center to Close Hypersonic T&E Capability Gaps Developing and Investing in Improved Test Tools, Technologies, Techniques, Facilities, and Technical Workforce for Ground Test, Flight Test, and Modeling and Simulation to Enable Effective Acquisition-Caliber T&E of High Speed Systems Goals DoD T&E capability to effectively develop and field high speed systems Time Needs Improved tools, techniques, capabilities and technical workforce for Flight Test Air Force Test Center Solutions Focused investments in DoD Test Ranges/Centers Test Resource Mgmt. Center Ground Test Modeling & Simulation 5

6 Partnering with Test Resource Management Center to Close Hypersonic T&E Capability Gaps T&E/S&T High Speed Systems Test (HSST) Technology Area Mission: Develop and transition technologies for high speed systems T&E Paving the way to close critical MRTFB gaps Managed ~$200M in technology development projects since inception HSST projects are key to achieving future national T&E capability vision Mid Pressure Arcjet Remote Sensing & Telemetry Clean Air / Variable Mach Collaboration Advanced Propulsion Computational Tools Instrumentation Aerodynamic & Aerothermal Hypersonic Systems T&E Flight Test Government Industry Universities 6

7 Congressionally Directed Hypersonic T&E Infrastructure Study Led by Office of Science & Technology Policy (OSTP) and DoD Use cases: conventional boost-glide and scramjet cruise missiles Re-useable platforms were recognized but not considered for the study Participants included: OSTP, TRMC, Military Services Testers and facility owners Weapon technology developers (DARPA, AF, Navy, Army) Acquisition stakeholders (government and industry) Assessed facility readiness for Developmental Programs Identified Critical T&E Gaps Presented 5 year/$350m T&E Infrastructure Roadmap Roadmap fully funded in FY17-21 President s Budget National Level Program to Advance Hypersonic T&E Infrastructure 7

Hypersonic T&E Investment Program T&E Capability Enhancement Areas Aeropropulsion Aerodynamic & Aerothermal Weather Effects GN&C, Seekers, Lethality Improving Propulsion Ground Test Methods,

Dispensing Testing Developing Capability to Simulate Thermo-mechanical Responses of High Speed Thermal Protection Systems and Control Surfaces in Natural Environments Developing Integrated End-to-

Corridor and Infrastructure Needs, Improving Mission Assurance and Launch Flexibility, Developing In-Flight Measurements, Increasing Data Capture per Flight Innovative New Sensors, Improving

8 Hypersonic T&E Investment Program T&E Capability Enhancement Areas Aeropropulsion Aerodynamic & Aerothermal Weather Effects GN&C, Seekers, Lethality Improving Propulsion Ground Test Methods, Expanding Test Envelopes, Improving Accuracy & Fidelity Improved Aeroheating & Ablation Test Capabilities, Improved Flow Quality, Aero- Thermal Structural, Aero- Optics, High-Speed Munitions Dispensing Testing Developing Capability to Simulate Thermo-mechanical Responses of High Speed Thermal Protection Systems and Control Surfaces in Natural Environments Developing Integrated End-to- End Hardware in the Loop Mission Simulation; GN&C and Seeker/Sensor; Ordnance Evaluation Flight Test Instrumentation & Test Techniques Modeling & Simulation Workforce Development Evaluating Range Corridor and Infrastructure Needs, Improving Mission Assurance and Launch Flexibility, Developing In-Flight Measurements, Increasing Data Capture per Flight Innovative New Sensors, Improving Accuracy, Increasing Measurement Ranges, Test Techniques for Improved Correlations Improved Flight Performance Prediction Capabilities. Validating Codes, Developing Complex Physics-Based Tools Develop Advanced Workforce Skills, Techniques, and Expertise for Current and Future Hypersonic T&E Workforce M&S, Instrumentation & Test Techniques, and Workforce Development Embedded in Multiple Capability Enhancement Areas 8

Hypersonic Weapon Development A Manhattan Class Effort

capabilities, techniques and analytical methods Close

test communities Significant capital investment in all

9 Hypersonic Weapon Development A Manhattan Class Effort Will require The development of new test facilities, capabilities, techniques and analytical methods Close collaboration between the research, development, and test communities Significant capital investment in all the above Yes Huge Challenges But also Huge Dividends 9

Test Resource Management Center Directed Energy T&E Conference A Joint DEPS ITEA Event

Test Resource Management Center Directed Energy T&E Conference A Joint DEPS ITEA Event Mr. George Rumford Deputy Director Major Initiatives and Technical Analyses Test Resource Management Center January